Jenna Ortega
| birth_date = | birth_place = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 2012–present | television = Stuck in the Middle Elena of Avalor | awards = • Imagen Award for Best Actor - Television | signature = }} Jenna Marie Ortega (born September 27, 2002 ) is an American actress. She has portrayed Harley Diaz on Disney Channel show Stuck in the Middle, Young Jane on Jane the Virgin, and Princess Isabel in the Disney Channel animated television series Elena of Avalor. s Jenna Ortega, Saturday Night Live s Chris Parnell and Community s Yvette Nicole Brown.}} Ortega began her career at the age of 9, with guest appearances on television series Rob and CSI: NY. She then gained notoriety for her recurring role on Jane the Virgin and soon got her first role of a main cast in Netflix series Richie Rich. She then gained international credibility and fame after starring as the lead role in Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle and starring as a main character in Disney Channel series Elena of Avalor. She will star next in the second season of the Netflix thriller series You, the upcoming Netflix horror-comedy film The Babysitter 2, and will also appear in upcoming comedy-film Yes Day. Early life Jenna Ortega was born on September 27, 2002 in Coachella Valley, California, the fourth of six siblings. Ortega's father is of Mexican American descent and her mother is of mixed Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry. Ortega had become interested in acting from the age of six. By the age of eight, with her mother's help and agents, Ortega eventually began receiving auditions. Career Ortega started by making appearances on various television and films. She made a guest appearance for ''Rob'', in the episode "Baby Bug." Following this was an appearance on CSI: NY on the episode "Unspoken" as Aimee Moore. She made her first appearance in a film in the movie Iron Man 3 as the vice president's daughter, as well as starring in Insidious: Chapter 2 as Annie. She then had a recurring role on Rake in 2014, as well as having a recurring role as Young Jane on Jane the Virgin. These roles brought much credibility to Ortega, as she began to establish herself as an actress. In 2015, Ortega was cast for the Netflix original series Richie Rich as part of the main cast, playing Darcy, Richie's best friend. Her character was a gold digger, that would spend Richie's money even without his consent. Though the show mixed to negative reviews, Ortega received much notoriety for her role and helped her career. From 2016 to 2018, Ortega then went on to star on the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle as Harley Diaz, the lead role of the show, the character being the middle child of the seven Diaz siblings, throughout the show's run. This role won her an Imagen Award in 2018, and earned her a nomination (currently pending) in 2019. In the same year, she joined the cast on Disney's Elena of Avalor, as the voice of Princess Isabel. This role earned her another nomination (currently pending) in 2019. In January 2019, Ortega had been cast as the main role of Ellie Alves on the second season of the Netflix thriller series You. It was later announced that she will star as a main role in upcoming-comedy movie Yes Day, slated to release in 2020. In October 2019, Ortega was cast in a role on the Netflix horror film The Babysitter 2. Ortega has stated that she has an interest for directing various films/television later on throughout her career. Personal life Ortega is a supporter of Pride Over Prejudice, a campaign that promotes acceptance towards the LGBT community. She has also stated that she is against anti-immigration and discrimination. Ortega told Teen Vogue: “It’s important to embrace your culture today because there are so many different ethnicities in America. At the end of the day, you are you. You’ve got to stay true to yourself, and you can’t change yourself in order to fit in or to make someone else feel comfortable.” Filmography Awards and nominations References External links • Category:2002 births Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Actresses from California Category:American actresses of Mexican descent Category:American actresses of Puerto Rican descent Category:American child actresses Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American television actresses Category:American voice actresses Category:Living people Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:People from Coachella, California